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Lougher makes it 129 wins at Scarborough

Using Maxton's GP30 fork cartridges and GP10 rear shock absorbers, Blackhorse Kawasaki team boss Ian Lougher returned to the race track with some intent as he extended his wins tally at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough to 129 with three more successes in the 60th Steve Henshaw International Gold Cup meeting at the North Yorkshire circuit.

Ian was in superb form throughout the weekend, as well as his three wins he also recorded three second place finishes, a third, a fourth and a seventh to complete every race he started, in what was his first outing since the Ulster Grand Prix in August. His wins came in both 125cc races for the Stu Reed Trophy and in the second heat of the 600cc David Jefferies Cup.

Saturday dawned with blue skies albeit with a typically autumnal chill in the air. With practice and qualifying over, the first of the day's 11 races got underway at the scheduled time of 1.00pm. Races one and two were the opening heats of the Darran Lindsay Trophy for Superbikes, both over four laps. Ian was in the second heat, opting to use his Superstock Ninja ZX-10R for the 'big bike' classes. And at the conclusion of his first outing of the day he finished fourth behind third placed John McGuinness and just in front of Derek Shiels.

Ian was soon out again for the first leg of the 125cc Stu Reed Trophy race. Fans around the circuit were eagerly awaiting the sight of Ian on the Repli-Cast UK Racing 125GP machine of Nigel Percy’s. Ian last rode the bike in 2009 with a wildcard entry at Silverstone where his technical input was invaluable to the team at that time. At the end of the first lap it was Ryan Farquhar on a KXF450 by half a second from William Dunlop with Ian coming through from fourth to move into third. Farquhar had increased the lead to three-quarters of a second a lap later, as the positions remained the same, with Chris Palmer fourth. But at the halfway stage Ian, who had only just stepped on to the bike for practice earlier in the day, had now moved ominously into second and had reduced the gap dramatically between himself and Farquhar to 0.343 of a second. Lougher took the lead at Drury’s and now led by 0.361 seconds as they went into the penultimate lap. Ian held on brilliantly to take the win at the flag from Farquhar by 0.25 seconds with William Dunlop third.

Ian was straight into action again on the Ninja ZX-10R in the first leg of the Darran Lindsay Trophy races. At the end of the opening lap of eight it was Ryan Farquhar from Guy Martin, John McGuinness, Michael Pearson, and Ian Hutchinson with Ian completing the top six. Michael Dunlop went out on lap three with machine trouble as positions remained the same. Farquhar still led at the three-quarter race mark with Ian Hutchinson now third ahead of Pearson. At the chequered flag Lougher brought the Ninja ZX-10R home in a safe seventh just behind Derek Shiels.

Ian then had time to catch his breath for a bit before coming to the line for the second heat of the David Jefferies 600cc Cup over four laps. In this one he had a trouble free run as he coasted to first place, just over five seconds ahead of Michal Dokoupil.

After the heats of the David Jefferies Cup came the first 8-lap leg, the penultimate race of Saturday's programme. Ian Hutchinson was in pole position and held the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin and up Sheene’s Rise. Two miles later it was still Hutchy in the lead by 1.38 seconds from Guy Martin with Ian third, then Dokoupil and Michael Dunlop with Stephen Oates in sixth. Lap two and the lead was up to 2.42 seconds as Hutchinson broke the lap record at 81.96mph with positions the same. On to the fifth lap of eight and the lead had extended to 4.56 seconds with Michael Dunlop now fourth, Ian meanwhile was safe in third on the ZX-6R and at the chequered flag he maintained his position to finish a fine third and bring his first day's racing to a satisfactory close.

Unfortunately Sunday's weather wasn't so kind with rain persisting on and off for most of the day. Ian's first event of the second day was the second leg of the Darran Lindsay Trophy. In Saturday's first leg Ian finished seventh behind Farquhar, Martin, Hutchinson, Pearson, McGuinness and Shiels, however this time around he addressed the balance on all but Farquhar who again took the win with Ian a fine second, almost 2.5 seconds ahead of Ian Hutchinson. Guy Martin was a retirement on the third lap.

Next up for Ian was a run on the ZX-6R as he took part in the second leg of the David Jefferies Cup. Winner of the first leg was Ian Hutchinson by some 7.7 seconds from Guy Martin. This time though Hutchy was pushed all the way by Lougher who was just over a second behind at the finish. The two were well clear of third place man Guy Martin who was a further 10 seconds back.

As the riders came to the line for the feature Gold Cup race, the programme was running behind schedule due to the weather conditions. Thus the organisers decided to reduce the race by two laps to eight. As in the David Jefferies Cup race a little earlier, it was again Hutchinson who set the pace with Lougher the only one able to forge a challenge. Despite Ian's best efforts, Hutchinson again took the honours with Ian a brilliant second on the Superstock Ninja ZX-10R, the first Kawasaki rider home and with a fastest lap of the race at 77.01mph to reward his efforts. Third was Ryan Farquhar, another twelve seconds in arrears with Michael Dunlop fourth.

Ian was straight back on track again as he jumped from the big bike on to the smaller Repli-Cast UK Racing 125GP machine for the second leg of the Stu Reed Trophy. Having won the previous day's first leg, could Lougher do it again? The result was never in doubt as Ian took victory by 13.5 seconds from the KXF450 of Ryan Farquhar who in turn was well clear of Chris Palmer in third. Again the fastest lap went to Ian at 69.86mph.

So a successful Gold Cup meeting for Ian Lougher for whom the Oliver's Mount success story continues, can he make it 130 wins next year? It would take a brave person to bet against it!

It's a return to the British Superbike Championship scene next weekend for Blackhorse Kawasaki when Victor Cox and David Pearce will once again be in the team colours for the latest round of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 and Junior 600 Championships at Silverstone.

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Cox Finishes Season In Style

Using Maxton's GP30 fork cartridges and GP10 rear shock absorbers, Victor Cox rounded off his 2010 season with Blackhorse Kawasaki in fine style when he took the team's Ninja Superstock ZX-10R to two top six places in the final rounds of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship at Oulton Park.

The penultimate race of the championship on Saturday was actually the cancelled race from Silverstone two weeks ago. Grid positions were determined by qualifying for that race which meant that Victor was on the third row of the grid in ninth place. As the riders streamed across the line at the end of the opening lap, Cox had maintained his ninth place just ahead of Luke Quigley and only 0.16 behind Jimmy Storrar and Scott Smart. It was a case of 'how you were' for the next few laps with Cox still in 9th and still just ahead of Quigley with the duo putting pressure on Smart and Storrar with Joe Burns a further half second ahead.

On lap four Quigley got ahead of Cox with Howie Mainwaring now becoming a threat, but Victor fought back on the next lap to re-claim ninth and he was still just behind Smart and Burns and just ahead of Mainwaring with nothing to separate them. At the halfway point Cox was up to eighth, half a second behind Smart and being pressed by Mainwaring who got past a lap later to relegate him to ninth again. A real scrap was ensuing between Victor, Barry Burrell, Quigley, Smart and Mainwaring with just over one second covering them. Positions remained relatively unchanged on the next lap and on lap ten Mainwaring moved up to fifth with Victor still in the mix for a place in the top six. On the penultimate lap Cox got back in front of Smart to move into eighth and was now just 0.4 seconds off sixth place. The crowd at the circuit and Eurosport viewers watched with excitement as Cox, Quigley and Burrell dashed for the line with Victor just getting the verdict from Quigley by the slender margin of 0.01 seconds with Burrell just 0.04 adrift. A brilliant ride from Cox who was third quickest through the finish line speed trap and also third best in the third sector.

Race one did Victor's confidence no measure of harm at all and he lined up for the second race on Sunday determined to secure another good result for himself and the team, and he didn't disappoint. Again from the third row of the grid he got a great start and as they completed the first circuit he found himself in seventh just behind Richard Cooper and ahead of Luke Quigley, Howie Mainwaring, Kenny Gilbertson and Jimmy Storrar with a slight gap to Steve Plater.

Positions remained the same on the next lap and on the third lap Cooper began to pull away in fifth, Scott Smart was now 6th, Mainwaring 7th and Cox 8th, half second clear of Quigley with Plater losing touch slightly. On the next lap Sam Warren crashed out of fourth at Brittens which promoted Victor to 7th. However Quigley got ahead on the fifth lap to relegate him to eighth with Plater now threatening in ninth.

The see-saw race continued on the following lap as Victor moved back to 7th and holding on to Quigley with Plater still watching from behind as Smart slipped to 9th. Cox moved to sixth on lap seven as Mainwaring crashed out at Knickerbrook and he managed to extend a slight advantage on Plater on lap eight as he determinedly held on to sixth whilst keeping the pressure on fifth place man Quigley whom he passed on the next lap to close right up on fourth place man Cooper.

Victor and the Ninja ZX-10R were right on song and on lap ten he found himself in fourth at the expense of Cooper with Plater still very much in touch and the local man got in front of Cox on the penultimate circuit to claim fourth with Cooper now pressurising in sixth. However the Kawasaki rider wasn't finished and he hounded Plater all the way to the finish, whilst defending his fifth place from Richard Cooper, and at the line he was only 0.09 seconds away from fourth with Cooper rounding out the top six.

A superb end to Victor's 2010 campaign, with his highest placing of the season and the Trowbridge rider finishes an excellent eighth in the championship.

For David Pearce it was a difficult weekend. Despite lapping 0.2 seconds quicker in second qualifying he slipped from 19th to 30th, such is the competitive nature of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 series. David eventually finished 27th in a race where he experienced brake fade in the early stages as he climbed to 22nd place. Running on at the chicane and into the barriers, he gamely re-joined the race in 33rd position after losing 14 seconds due to his unavoidable excursion off the track. He was disappointed in the end but did have the consolation of posting the second quickest time through the Sector 2 speed trap.

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Double podium at Silverstone for Reeves

Using Maxton's GP10 rear shock, Tim Reeves enjoyed a rare outing in the F2 Sidecar class at the weekend and he ensured it was a successful one, recording 1st and 2nd place finishes in the final round of the Swan Combi Challenge at Silverstone on Sunday, only a broken lanyard in the second race denying him a double victory. The Kent driver, partnered for the first time on the F2 outfit by Gregory Cluze, was back on his LCR Suzuki for the first time since the Isle of Man TT races and enjoyed terrific tussles with John Holden/Andy Winkle in both 7-lap races.

The sidecars got some of the better conditions over the course of the three days, which were affected by regular rain showers and cold temperatures, and, after topping the solitary free practice session on Friday, Tim and Gregory had to settle for second in qualifying with Holden coming out on top by 0.636s. Nevertheless, they were on the front row and ideally placed to challenge for the race wins.

Saturday's opening race, held late on Saturday afternoon saw Holden grab the lead on the first lap but, a lap later, Tim and Gregory were able to hit the front for the first time. Reigning British F2 champions Holden and Winkle were in determined mood though and got back in to first place on lap 3 and, for the remainder of the race there was nothing between the two outfits. Tim and Gregory sat right with their rivals, with the duo swapping paint on more than one occasion, but Tim hit the front for good on the final lap and held on to take a great win by 0.461s.

Sunday's second 7-lapper saw the two pairings again go head-to-head although they both had work to do having started on the fourth row due to the reversed grid formation. Third on lap 1, Tim finally managed to overhaul Conrad Harrison on lap 4 and quickly closed to within three tenths of a second of a charging Holden, sitting right in his slipstream until the final lap. A fine move at the end of the back straight saw Tim and Gregory hit the front once more but, as they exited the final corner, the lanyard broke and they could only sit and watch as Holden powered by, eventually limping home in second place.

Speaking later, a happy Tim said: "I'm obviously a bit disappointed not to have taken the double but we had two excellent races with John and Andy and I really enjoyed myself out there. We had a few small issues in practice as it was the first time Greg had been out on the F2 outfit but once we made a few changes to the chassis and changed his hand holds and foot grips, it all clicked. The bike hadn't turned a wheel since the second TT race but all we did was put a new thermostat in and it never missed a beat. John's bike had a little bit of an edge on top speed but nothing that affected anything and it was great to be scrapping it out with him."

"The first race went perfectly and the second looked like it would go the same way and I'd got it all planned out. I got by him where I wanted to and thought it was all done and dusted but then the lanyard went and broke. I couldn't believe it and it's never happened to me in all the years I've been racing so I guess you could say it was a bit of a freak occurrence. I couldn't do anything after that and just limped across the line. It was great to see all the BSB paddock come out and support the chairs once again and I think it's fair to say we've put on a good show for them again."

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Reeves and Cluze edge ever closer to British F1 Sidecar Championship

Using Maxton's GP10 rear shock, Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze overcame difficult weather conditions at the weekend to edge ever closer to clinching the Eastern Airways 'Battle of Britain' British F1 Sidecar Championship. The Anglo-French pairing took two wins and a second from the 3 races held at the Anglesey circuit just off the coast of North Wales and, with two rounds remaining, now hold a 65-point lead over nearest rivals Allan Schofield and Steve Thomas.

Held on the picturesque 1.550-mile coastal circuit, Tim and Gregory got their weekend off in fine style when they took yet another convincing pole position, a time of 1m08.901s seeing them over half a second clear of nearest rivals Ben and Tom Birchall. However, the good weather for the qualifying session was soon replaced by torrential rain and strong winds and all three races would be hard going for the strong 22-outfit field.

A sluggish start in race 1 on Saturday saw Tim down in third at the end of the first lap and with it difficult to get heat in to the tyres and visibility severely reduced by the spray from the outfits in front, it was hard work getting close enough to pass but eventually he made it up to second on the 9th of the 14 laps. By this time, the Birchalls had opened up a significant lead and so Tim and Gregory had to settle for second place on this occasion.

Sunday saw the usual two races held, again in treacherous conditions, and there was no question as to who dominated with Tim and Gregory leading both races convincingly. The first 9 lapper saw the Birchalls grab the holeshot but Tim took the lead just a couple of corners later and they promptly left their rivals trailing in their wake eventually taking the chequered flag some 14.7s ahead of the second placed pairing of Schofield/Thomas. The severity of the weather could be seen in Tim's fastest lap of 69.664mph, some 11 seconds down on his pole position lap. The final 14-lap race was another demonstration by the duo and they were able to ease back in the closing stages to eventually come home almost 4 seconds ahead of the Birchalls.

Speaking afterwards, a delighted Tim commented: "It's been a hard weekend and the weather really was diabolical! It started off well in qualifying and it all looked good for a nice weekend but the rain soon came and it was a battle against the elements after that. I didn't get the greatest of starts in the first race and it took a while to get enough heat in to the tyres and by the time I'd got past Allan, Ben had gone. He'd used tyre warmers just before the race, which clearly helped give him the grip he needed and whilst I'm not a fan of using them, I put them on for Sunday's races and it made a huge difference to the amount of grip I was getting. In Sunday's races I was able to hit the front on the first lap on both occasions and once I'd done that, I just got my head down and pulled away. I pushed hard for the first half dozen laps or so and once I'd got a good lead I just rode to my pit board and was able to ease off in the closing laps. It's great to get another couple of wins and extend my lead again but Allan is being extremely consistent and putting in some strong drives at each round so I can't relax just yet and will keep the pressure on at the next round at Donington."

Prior to the penultimate F1 round at Donington in October, Tim now heads to Silverstone this weekend where he'll be back out on his F2 LCR outfit for the final round of the Swan Combi F2 Sidecar Challenge where the teams will also be competing for the prestigious Steve Norbury Trophy.

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Outright lap record and hat-trick for Farquhar at Oliver's Mount

Using Maxton's GP30 fork cartridges and GP10 rear shock, Ryan Farquhar rounded off his 2010 road racing season in fine style at the weekend when he not only took a hat-trick of victories at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough but also claimed the outright lap record. The KMR Kawasaki rider was in superb form in both the wet and dry and was able to take the Darran Lindsay and Phil Mellor trophies as well as a new lap record, the first man ever to lap the 2.41-mile woodland circuit in less than 1m45s. The success meant he ended the year with a staggering total of 52 road racing victories to his name and an overall tally of 58, 6 more wins having been attained on the short circuits, an amazing achievement indeed.

Ryan signalled his intentions from the off and he comfortably took a win in his Superbike heat on Saturday, also lapping within a whisker of Guy Martin’s outright lap record. Next up was the opening 125cc/450cc race and Ryan had a race long battle with Ian Lougher, the Welshman eventually coming out on top on his 125cc Honda by just 0.25s. He didn’t have to wait long for his first race win though and he dominated the first Superbike race to win by over 4 seconds and it was here where he claimed the outright lap record with a stunning lap of 1m44.932s. Win number 2 came shortly afterwards with a 7-second victory on his ER6 650cc Kawasaki win in the first leg of the Minitwins.

Sunday dawned wet and windy, which meant his outright lap record would remain intact, but there was still plenty of racing to be done, his first race of the day being the second leg of the Minitwins. Speeds were considerably down on the previous day and Ryan was sitting comfortably in second behind Dean Harrison when the red flag came out so he had to settle for second on this occasion although he was able to claim the overall victory on aggregate time, picking up the Phil Mellor Trophy for the first time in his illustrious career.

There was no rest for Ryan and he was back on the grid for the second leg of the Superbikes and he was more dominant in the wet than he had been in the dry, his eventual winning margin being 10.6s, the victory on this occasion giving him the Darran Lindsay Trophy and his 22nd at Scarborough this year! With his ZX-10R Superstock machine working perfectly, Ryan was favourite for the feature Gold Cup race but a sluggish start saw him back in third at the end of the opening lap and despite his best efforts, this was where he finished and he had to give best to Lougher and race winner Ian Hutchinson. Ryan then completed his weekend with another second place to Lougher in the second leg of the 125cc/450cc race.

Speaking later, a pleased Ryan said: "I’m over the moon to have claimed the outright lap record this weekend and I must admit I was quite pleased when I saw the rain on Sunday as I knew no-one would be able to take it back off me! I was near record pace in my heat, which quite surprised me, but I just rode as hard and as steady as I could in the race so to get the record and become the first man to dip below the 1m45s barrier is really pleasing and a great way to end the season."

"Winning both the Darran Lindsay and Phil Mellor trophies was equally pleasing as they were both great riders who gave a lot to the sport and whilst it would have been nice to have taken the Gold Cup too, I just didn’t get a good enough start. It’s always difficult here to make back time if you don’t get the start and even more so when it’s wet but I can’t complain, the two Ian’s rode really well. It’s been another fantastic year for myself and the team and I just want to thank all my sponsors and supporters who have been 100% behind me all year long. We’ve had a lot of success and enjoyed some great races and if it wasn’t for them none of it would have been possible. I’m looking forward to the winter break now and will be back to do it all again next year!"

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Dan Kneen's end of season report

Hi Everyone, I've just got back from the last round of the British Supersport Cup Championship, and its fair to say I needed a good meeting to grab the championship, so I was going there to give it my best shot.

We arrived there early Thursday morning, so we had plenty of time to set up, and get the bike right for first practice. It went ok, but I was way off my time from earlier in the year, but there was plenty of time to settle in and get up to speed at the end of the session, I was 6th in the cup.

Second practice went better and I was starting to settle in to the track again, and ended up 3rd which I was happy with , as I knew I could still go quicker.

Third practice I went faster, but was still off the time I'd done before, which was getting to me a bit, as I was in 6th at the end of the session. Every time I tried harder, the bike was tying itself in knots on the brakes, so we sat down and had a think, and made some changes for the qualifying session. There was only one qualifying session at this meeting instead of the usual two.

Qualifying. I went out on an old tyre for the start , did 5 laps to get up to speed, then came into the pits for a new tyre , then went out to try and put things right . I used the out lap to bed the tyre in and then go for it the following lap, but I caught some slower riders which stopped me from getting a clear lap. The next lap I got my head down , but I could tell the bike had gone off and was'nt running at full power so I made it back to the pits . That was the end of the session, I was so annoyed, as I knew I had'nt done a good time, so I would be starting 33rd on the grid, 9th in the cup. This was by far my worst grid position this year and I knew I was gonna have my work cut out for the race.

On race day I went out in warm up to make sure we had sorted the problems with the bike, and to just get some steady laps in. I also wanted to figure out where I was gonna over take everyone the first lap, which I knew I had to do, because if you lose to much time on your first lap then you've got your work cut out catching up.

I got a good start in the race, and made lots of places from the start, so I concentrated on catching Pat Mcdougall and Jenny Tinmouth who were a few seconds ahead . First I had to pass the boys in between , so I overtook David Jones and Max Hunt both at the same spot, on the second and third lap. However I still had Mark Cringle to get by, before McDougall and Tinmouth , and I was catching them up no problem.

I was trying quite hard, and made a mistake, coming into Shell Oils . So as to not lose too much time, I got on the gas early and ended up with the back tyre on the grass, which was a bit to close for comfort! I was shouting at myself , because I was making silly mistakes. By the end of the lap though, I was back with Mark , but as I came out of the first corner the bike just stopped. I could'nt believe my luck! ....I had already had so many problems before the race, ...how could anything else go wrong ? ...but it did.

I pulled off the track , and before I got off the bike, I flicked the switches on and off, and tried to fire it up. It started, so I set off thinking I was gonna pull into the pits at the end of the lap, but thought , well anything can happen yet, so I went as hard as I could to the end.

After losing 40 seconds, there was'nt much chance of catching them, but I got my head down and passed two riders, but it was'nt enough, and I finished 2nd overall which was ok but I wanted to win so was'nt happy really. Oh well there is always next year!

I'd just like to thank everyone thats helped me this year its been good all round, and I could'nt have done it without you all.

Marks Bloom Chartered accountants, Manx Gas, Slick Performance, The IOM Steam Packet Company, Paul Dedman Performance, Hien Gericke Chester, Wemoto.com, Goodridge, Maxton, Pfm brakes, Boal engineering, Betteridge motors, Classic car restoration, Quine and Cubbon printers, All our yesterdays of Ramsey, Gb racing, Gpr, Robinsons Andy Stewart, Isle of Man Sports aid, Scott Physio, Mugs 4 You, Moto gb Leo Vince, Worlds end couriers, speedycom, Pazzo Levers, Motul, Paul Morrisey Racing, Mr.Chad, Paul Arthur, Steve Corlett

My mechanic Wayne Engerton , Uncle Phil , Uncle Mike, Sarah, Katie, Callum and Billy, Chris Wedgewood,Steve Corlett, Dad, Paul Arthur, John Taylor, Andy Dudgeon, Rory Parker, Dave Harrison, Mark Simpson

And everyone who helped me out when I was stuck! thanks. Dan

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Farquhar ends 2010 season with yet more success

Ryan Farquhar wrapped up his superb 2010 racing season at the weekend with yet more success when he took two wins at the annual Sunflower Trophy races at Bishopscourt. Proving he can more than cut it on the short circuits, the KMR Kawasaki rider overcame the considerable challenge of Marty Lennon to take both of the Super Twins races thus meaning he ended the year with a total of 60 race wins from his road racing and short circuit exploits, a phenomenal achievement indeed.

After taking pole position from former National Superstock 600cc Champion Jamie Hamilton by 0.104s, Ryan found himself locked in a superb battle with fellow Kawasaki rider Lennon in the first 9-lap encounter and there was little to choose between the two Kawasaki riders. Positions changed hands with frequent regularity around the 1.82-mile circuit but Ryan was in front when it mattered most and he took the chequered flag and his first victory of the day by just 0.112s. The second race started in similar fashion but, this time, once Ryan hit the front he stayed there and he pulled away on each and every lap to eventually take the win, again from Lennon, by a commanding 6.049s. The two wins meant that Ryan finished third overall in the Irish Short Circuit Championship despite having only contested 4 of the 9 rounds, also winning all 8 of the races he finished.

Speaking later, a delighted Ryan said: "It's great to come here and wrap up the season with another two wins and it's been another terrific year for me. Obviously I'm more of a road racer than a short circuit racer but I can ride on the circuits too and showed that today in the two races. Marty pushed me really hard in the first race and I was really impressed with how he performed especially as I know he's operating on an extremely tight budget. It was nip and tuck all the way but I managed to get by him and take the win, albeit just! The second race was a lot more straightforward and once I hit the front I just concentrated really hard and gradually pulled away. Like I say, it's been a superb season for me and I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me throughout the year particularly all my sponsors, team members and fans."

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Reeves celebrates British Championship success

Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze enjoyed a superb two days of racing at Donington Park over the weekend when the duo clinched the Eastern Airways 'Battle of Britain' F1 Sidecar Championship. The Anglo-French pairing took two wins and a second from their races to wrap up the title with a round to spare thus crowning an excellent first season together. The victories took their tally in Britain for the year to 12 and came soon after an excellent second overall in the World Championship.

Having taking second in qualifying, just three tenths of a second behind the pole position time of Ben and Tom Birchall, Tim got his weekend off to the perfect start when he won Saturday's 10-lap race by almost seven seconds. The race was held in difficult, wet conditions but Tim and Gregory grabbed the holeshot and led from start to finish in convincing fashion.

Sunday dawned dry and sunny and the opening 10-lap race saw Tim and Gregory go head to head once more with the Birchall brothers. Tim led on the opening two laps but on lap 3, the duo had a coming together at the Esses and Tim spun out of the action. He rejoined in 5th place and had managed to fight his way back up to second place by the chequered flag. There was to be no mistake in the third and final race though and, after slotting in to second at the end of the first lap, Tim moved by Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas a lap later and promptly pulled away eventually taking the victory by a commanding 13.6s. The victory gave them an unassailable lead in the Championship.

Speaking afterwards, a delighted Tim said: "To clinch the title with a round to spare is absolutely brilliant and the weekend couldn't have gone any better. Saturday's race was obviously wet and whilst some of the drivers went for intermediates, I chose full wets and I had no problem at all out there so that started the weekend in the ideal fashion. Race 2 saw Ben and myself have a great scrap in the early stages but we then had a bit of a coming together at the Esses and I spun out. It was no-one's fault, just a racing incident, but the bike stalled and I couldn't get it out of gear but I eventually got going again in fifth and rode as hard as I could to get back up to second. To then round out the weekend with another victory was perfect."

"It means a lot to me to regain the British Championship and even more so as I'd made a few changes over the winter, what with a new engine and passenger. I've got to say a big thank you to Gregory for doing a mega job all season and also to Neil Tuxworth at Honda and Clive Padgett. The CBR1000RR engine was very much unproven at sidecar level but their input and advice throughout the season was invaluable and once we'd overcome a few teething issues at the beginning of the season, the bike was faultless and got better and better. I'd also like to thank all my sponsors for supporting me again especially Gunther and Jutta Reuschling, the Haith family, Mark Middleton of Double 'M' Racing, Adrian Hill at Morris Lubricants, Sam and Ian Hamilton of Express Tyres, Lockerbie and Neil Pallett. I couldn't have done it without them or all my other sponsors and I'm over the moon to repay their faith and commitment with the British title."

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Winning end to 2010 for Reeves

Tim Reeves wrapped up his highly successful 2010 season at the weekend with yet more wins, this time at the World Sidecar Festival at Mallory Park. The recently crowned British Champion took 1st and 2nd in the final two rounds of the Eastern Airways 'Battle of Britain' F1 Championship and repeated those results in the two Dave Roberts Invitation races.

Having qualified in 2nd place behind regular sparring partners Ben and Tom Birchall, a strong start in the opening 17-lap British F1 race saw Tim and passenger Gregory Cluze slot in to 2nd place behind the Birchalls but try as they might, they could find no way through and had to settle for 2nd at the chequered flag, just under 2 seconds adrift. There was to be no such problems in the 2nd race though and Tim and Gregory were able to lead from start to finish. Despite having to contend with a slippery circuit, they extended their lead on each and every lap and eventually ran out convincing winners by almost 20 seconds. The win, their 13th from 22 races, saw them end the season with 453 points, a whopping 102 points clear of the second place Birchalls.

In the Dave Roberts Memorial Invitational races, Tim and Gregory finished 2nd in the first race, again behind the Birchalls, after a sluggish start left them in 5th at the end of the first lap but they made amends in the 2nd to take yet another victory in a race that was cut short due to rain. With Tim and Gregory joint on points with the Birchalls for the Dave Roberts Trophy, Tim was awarded the prize thanks to his fastest lap in race one thus adding yet more silverware to his impressive haul in 2010.

Speaking afterwards, a delighted Tim said: "It's been a good end to what's been a really good season for me. Qualifying was tough as there were 28 outfits on the track, which meant there wasn't a lot of room, but I got some clear track in the end and was just happy to be on the front row. In the first British Championship race, Ben got a flier but I gradually closed in on him only for tailenders to come in to play with about 5 laps to go and from being nose to tail I was suddenly about 1.5s back. I cruised hom for second, fitted a new tyre for the second race and just got my head down, which worked a treat. The amount of grip I was getting around Gerard's was unbelievable."

"The two Dave Roberts races were shorter affairs and I got an awful start in the first one. The lads in front of me weren't hanging around so it took me until lap 7 to get up to 2nd and although I tried to close the gap to Ben I ultimately ran out of laps. The second race was a real good battle between myself and Ben and I'd got through in to the lead and was feeling strong when the rain came and the two of us raised our hands as it was just too slippy for slicks. I was delighted to pick up the trophy as Dave was a good friend of mine and if it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have won my first World title back in 2005 - it was the perfect way to end the year. Once again, a big thank you to all my sponsors and everyone else who's made it possible this season."

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